Dikembe Mutombo eyes playing again

[Andrew]

Mutombo To Celtics, Heat, Or Spurs?

Dikembe Mutombo said recently that he hopes to sign with an NBA team after the Christmas holiday and that Boston, Miami, and San Antonio have expressed interest.

"You'll see me in the next two weeks," Mutombo said. "I will be somewhere. I really need to go back to playing. I've just got to make sure that I go to a place where I can be happy. There are about four to five teams that I've been looking at and about seven teams that have shown interest. It's up to me to make my decision."

He also admitted that the Rockets, for whom he played last season, have "not answered" him regarding a return.

If those are his top choices, he'd probably be a good fit for any of them but I think the Celtics might be the best fit of the three. At this stage of his career he's not going to be playing 30+ minutes a game and the Celtics wouldn't need him to, he'd be able to come in and be a legit centre off the bench for 10, maybe 15 minutes a night and sometimes a bit more if Perkins is in foul trouble and Mutombo is feeling spry enough.

[Kenny]

I'd like to see him in San Antonio, but I guess their side is already packed with Veteran players. I remember Zo said that Robert Parish said that they'll have to take the jersey away from him for him to stop playing, maybe Mt Mutombo is the same.

[Mandich]

Yes I'd like him to play in Boston. He is one of my favorite players and one of my idols, and yes I hope that if he singes for one team that he gets some playing time, Shake the finger

[Andrew]

I'd like to see him in San Antonio, but I guess their side is already packed with Veteran players. I remember Zo said that Robert Parish said that they'll have to take the jersey away from him for him to stop playing, maybe Mt Mutombo is the same.

I think he'd fit well in San Antonio too but they might be more interested in a long term solution/upgrade at centre, which Mutombo obviously doesn't provide. Boston's dominance and favourable chances of competing for the championship might also be more appealing to him, assuming they are equally interested.

[Alejandrov011]

Does Mutombo has a ring?


He will end in Boston... he deserves one

[Andrew]

No, he's never been on a championship team.

[diddy]

please no mutombo in miami, go to boston or whatever, not in miami!

[Kenny]

it'd be great to see him with a ring. If he doesn't get one, he'll get lumped into that list of the best to not win one.

[Sam The Man]

Im sure the Spurs would sign him if he came for cheap. But I think they are hoping Ian Mahinmi will be the defensive rebounding, shot blocking center of the future for them. But it would still be good to see Mutombo on the roster, meaning hopefully Vaughn will be cut, and retire, and then become a coach on the team

[GoLowDrew]

Why would Boston need him?

Going down the line, they got Davis and Perkins as part of the rotation. And did everyone forget Patrick O'Bryant? He is a legit 7 footer. Young, and he show what he can do last year. He is no way a star, but a good back up.

What would Boston do with a 60 year old man? Mutombo was great 10 years ago. His time has passed.

NBA is not a charity where they hand out rings to players who deserves it.

[Andrew]

The Celtics don't need him per se but as far as insurance policies go, he wouldn't be a bad option. He can still play his 10-15 minutes when needed, block a couple of shots, grab a few rebounds and generally fill the lane. If there's mutual interest, I think it could be mutually beneficial.

I don't think anyone's forgotten about O'Bryant but he's only played in nine games this season seeing under five minutes of action per contest, last year he only appeared in 24 games all season seeing around 4 minutes per game. He's still largely unproven and not at the point where they shouldn't consider bringing in another legit centre just in case.

[erik_twism]

I guess Mutombo would be able to help every team, not only on the court but even more off the court. He is so experienced and has seen it all. He can help every other Center of the team to become better, can still give 10-15 quality minutes and is going to keep the players focused. And besides all that he is doing great things for the community. So he would be a fit in Boston and everywhere else.

[Alejandrov011]

Why would Boston need him?

Going down the line, they got Davis and Perkins as part of the rotation. And did everyone forget Patrick O'Bryant? He is a legit 7 footer. Young, and he show what he can do last year. He is no way a star, but a good back up.

What would Boston do with a 60 year old man? Mutombo was great 10 years ago. His time has passed.

NBA is not a charity where they hand out rings to players who deserves it.

Did you hear about PJ Brown?

[Andrew]

I guess Mutombo would be able to help every team, not only on the court but even more off the court. He is so experienced and has seen it all. He can help every other Center of the team to become better, can still give 10-15 quality minutes and is going to keep the players focused. And besides all that he is doing great things for the community. So he would be a fit in Boston and everywhere else.

He's certainly not going to disrupt anything either, even if a team doesn't desperately need him. He won't be coming in demanding 30 minutes or 30 shots per game. He'd just be there for his 10-15 minutes per game (probably even less) when needed.

[homicide1550]

What about Denver? I would like to see Deke end his career where it started.. Karl has been saying that they need another big man but I guess the management wont sign him coz they dont want to pay more taxes...

[Andrew]

True, Denver presents a situation that could certainly work. They could use another big off the bench and like Boston, would probably give him 10-15 minutes per night which most games would probably be all they need from him and probably about the most he could give them on a regular basis. He certainly fits the bill if they want to bolster the defense, he's not going to demand a lot of touches and any points he scores doing the dirty work is a bonus.

[Clueminati017]

Well... If you can't win one with the team you made a biggest impact on like Denver. Join a squad that you know you may not get the playing time, or you know you'll be the interior help for the names of Kendrick Perkins, Glenn Davis, Leon Powell, and other big men on the Celtics roster to make them better if their name is not Kevin Garnett. Then sit right beside of Sam Cassell and wait for the ring while you're at it. It just questions me that he's coming back for a easy championship ring although it seems like everyone would like to get, but karma sits there and bites them on the ass. I mean look at the Los Angeles Lakers at the time when they were stack with 4 out of 5 future hall of fame players, and got beat by the biggest underdog by the Detroit Pistons in the finals for the second time because of the defense they've brought to the game.

I wish every player who's going down the wire to retirement would be like "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Maravich said that he was born to win all the time, and be the best because of his father pushed him. So, every time when he was on different NBA teams he was trying to win a ring, and before he died where he said in a crusade for Billy Graham. It's not always right to just to say you're leaving a legacy for a ring, but you rather leave your legacy on the accomplishments. A ring is just something to seal your status with, and it doesn't mean you got to be the greatest player ever with a ring just look at Charles Barkley.

[Andrew]

I suppose everyone would like to be on championship team at some point and enjoy that atmosphere though. With a player like Mutombo, his role on a team like the Celtics probably wouldn't vary all that much from his role on any other strong contender or even a middle of the pack or lottery team. If you're keen to play and no one's going to offer you a whole lot of minutes, might as well play for the team that offers the most appealing scenario and that would be a frontrunner for a championship.

I know what you mean though and that's why I found it a bit funny when Gary Payton criticised Rajon Rondo for riding the Big Three's coattails to a championship last year. I certainly respect The Glove and his accomplishments but it was a bit hypocritical of him to say that when it's pretty much what he did in Miami in 2006 and what he tried to do with the Lakers in 2004, especially since Rondo's role with the Celtics was more significant than Payton's was with the Heat.

Meanwhile, Mutombo is insisting he'll be in Boston or San Antonio by the end of the year.

[Clueminati017]

If Mutombo goes to San Antonio. It'll benefit him for the better. He can teach the big men like Fabricio Oberto to be more aggressive on the boards, blocking shots, and hopefully find him a heart to do put back shots. Help Matt Bonner become a defensive minded player while being a shooter still because his style is still the same like how he was back in University of Florida. Minus the other big men shooters they had like Matt Walsh and Christian Drejer.

[Andrew]

In the wake of dealing Francis to Memphis, Houston apparently has interest in bringing him back.

[hova-]

Okay guys, hes back

I am kind of looking forward to some finger waves

phpBB [video]

[Andrew]

Doc Rivers commented that he thought it was unlikely he'd end up in Boston, though he had expressed interest in the team bringing him in.

I'm partial to this particular finger waggle myself.

phpBB [video]

[shadowgrin]

I think MJ got a technical after that.

[Andrew]

He did indeed.